INCREASED POLICE VISIBILITY LEADING TO A GREATER SENSE OF SECURITY FOR CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 5, 2017 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis are beginning to feel a greater sense of safety and security as a result of the increased police visibility throughout the streets and along the roadways of the Federation.

This was the sentiment shared by Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to St. Kitts and Nevis, His Excellency George Gow Wei Chiou, who also commended the Team Unity Government on its recent investments in the Ministry of National Security.

Speaking at a cheque handing over ceremony at Government Headquarters on Monday (July 3), Ambassador Chiou said that as a foreigner, he is encouraged by the high police visibility on the ground as “these things can help keep the people feeling safe.”

In response to the ambassador’s remarks, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris said this is something he hopes will continue going forward “in providing the kind of assurances which the public notes and appreciates.”

Prime Minister Harris, who also serves as Minister of National Security, thanked the dedicated men and women of the security forces for continuing to make the necessary sacrifices in the sake of maintaining law and order in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“We want to commend those of our law enforcement officers who have been on the front line, who have put their lives at stake to ensure that the society at large can be safer,” Dr. Harris said. “We have had overtime some excellent display of policing from some of our officers and very good work from the persons inside the Defence Force [and] we want that to be more pervasive within all units of law enforcement so that the country can reap the dividends.”

The prime minister further noted that his Government will continue to make the necessary resources available to law enforcement as they seek to make St. Kitts and Nevis the safest small island state in the world.

In December 2016, the Team Unity-led Government allocated approximately $72 million to the Ministry of National Security for 2017 – a figure which represents the largest yearly budgetary allocation ever given to that ministry.

“We see it, in a sense, as an investment. An investment which must bear dividend in the near future and the dividend of which we are talking about is a peace dividend for the country.”

The increased police patrol and search operations led to the seizure of another illegal firearm and matching ammunition on Sunday, July 2.

According to a police press release, officers of the Special Services Unit (SSU) discovered and seized a Taurus 9mm pistol with a magazine containing six rounds of 9mm ammunition.

That seizure brought the total number of illegal firearms seized so far in 2017 to twenty six.